Poverty does cause ignorance

A few hours back, we visited and conducted a seminar on Internet at the Notre Dame of Esperanza High School, a 30-minute drive from Tacurong. Excited, I prepared all the things needed and I also readied myself by reviewing my notes and the slides of my presentation. Of course, I don't want to be embarrassed in front of the participants when they raise questions beyond what I vividly know. I'm a bit nervous and shaky, although this wasn't my very first time to speak in a huge crowd, its just that I do expect a lot from the participants. I assume that they have ample, if not enough, knowledge about the topic and already acquainted of the Internet. Not until I stood in front of them and posed initial questions. It broke the nervousness out of me.

80% of the participants didn't even know what a web page or browser looks like!

I view Internet as one which could be easily accessed in a society that has been thriving resiliently to be at par with the first world society. Knowing how ignorant the people are in the Internet terms, the government has really took for granted the social development of the place by denying them their rights to information.

The seminar went on and we received a plethora of questions; all boils down to E-Mail, chatting and the like. Of course, we remain positive and we just did what we are supposed to do, to educate them in as much as we can possible perform. Hehehe, it was fun though we have frustrations in the first place, but we just took everything for fun.